By Patrick Avenell
SYDNEY, NSW: Sony Australia this morning announced details for the impending release of the new bloggie mobile HD video camera.
The bloggie is an HD video camera and 5-megapixel still camera designed for use with consumers interested in creating and sharing content with little fuss. Video recording is in MPEG4 format, and the whilst the screen is quite small, other features make up for this slight downside.
Firstly, the camera lens has a 270-degree vertical swivel, meaning that it can be fully rotated around for self-capture. This up and down feature is excellent for regular video-bloggers, as it means they can check the quality of the video capture through the single device. Included with purchase is a 360-degree panorama attachment, which clips onto the lens, enabling users to film their entire surroundings. This can be then viewed as one long strip. This would be ideal for people travelling in the Grand Canyon or for skateboarders, amongst others.
Connectivity is through an onboard USB 2.0 drive, which also charges the removable battery. Once connected, the built-in software enables plug-and-play access to popular video sharing sites, enabling uploading without too much red tape. The memory slot is a SD/memory stick hybrid, but only a memory stick comes included, so retailers should upsell consumers to an SD card to enable access to the standardised memory format.
The bloggie is out in mid-February for RRP $299. It will be available in violet, pink, blue and white.